


tag, you’re it

by sweetgoodgraciousangel



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Developing Friendships, Panic Attacks, bede gets swarmed by wooloo at one point save him, bede makes friends with the protagonist and panics, cause they think he is a Tall Wooloo, found family trope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-25
Updated: 2019-11-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:07:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21565021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetgoodgraciousangel/pseuds/sweetgoodgraciousangel
Summary: “Child, crying is far from a weakness. You’re brave to do so. Some people would never.”The comment makes him shed a few more tears and Opal smiles.
Relationships: Beet | Bede & Opal, Beet | Bede & Protagonist
Comments: 8
Kudos: 355





	tag, you’re it

Bede doesn’t get it when you swing by the first time around.

He’s in the lobby of the Stadium—his Stadium—glancing over something someone is showing him (it looked like a schedule). Miss Opal is right by his side, a happy smile on her face as she watches him make sense of the information in front of him. The life of a Gym Leader was a busy one, he must have found out. He’s rarely got time to play.

That is, until you tap his shoulder.

Bede turns and he spots you. 

Fairy dust clings to his lashes and skin and clothes—he’s not outside, but the glow of the mushrooms from the forest that wove in beautifully with Ballonea is burning brightly in his eyes. Still, it’s _Bede—_ he’s there, in the flesh, no matter how many sugary treats he eats and how much of a Gym Leader he’s starting to look like. He looks like a much more real version of _himself_.

Today, you wore pink. Mostly because you knew where you were headed. It turns a nod of approval from Miss Opal, but an eye roll from Bede.

“What are you doing here? Don’t you have things to do other than bother me? I’m busy.”

“Now, now, my child. I think you’ve done enough today.”

Bede faces Miss Opal with wide, confused eyes. Granted it was later in the day—and Bede was right, you did have things to do. But those things are in the past, and right in the present, you wanted to see him. 

“Why not go play for a bit? You know that old saying, don’t you? All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

“...But my name is Bede?”

Opal chuckles, face full of mischief. 

“Take a stroll with them, why don’t you?” 

Bede swallows uncomfortably, but listens to her. You’ve never quite seen him do anything so calmly before—well, he did listen to someone, but to that someone he only felt like he needed to prove himself to. Someone he did drastic and unruly things for. Miss Opal seems to be raising him well—he’s mellowed out quite a bit, the tension you always saw him carrying has seemingly melted away. He’s a lot _softer_ you suppose you would say, while still being completely himself.

Oleana using him might have brought out the worst in himself, but Miss Opal’s guidance and training has brought out the best in him. 

Bede goes to change clothes—says something about not wanting to dirty the uniform that was stitched just for him. He comes back in a soft gray turtleneck sweater and comfy sporty leggings. Miss Opal waves you both away, wishing you a good time. Bede doesn’t seem to understand why he was complying with your wishes, but you can tell he’s excusing it with the fact Opal had asked him to.

“Why are you here?” Bede asks again as you walk out of the Stadium lobby into Ballonea.

You smile. You wonder if you stayed around too long, would you have that same fairy dust clinging to you as it did him? You would almost bet, it wouldn’t compliment you as well. He looks so authentically like himself, you would almost say you’re speaking to a completely different person.

“Isn’t it obvious?” You ask him as you walk forward. He walks closely by you—something he would have never done in the past.

“Would it really be if I’m asking?”

You laugh. Your hands are shoved inside the pockets of your jacket, a smile dancing on your face.

“It’s as Miss Opal said. We should play a game.”

“I’m not a child.”

“Mm, I get it. You just think you’d lose to me, right?”

Bede scoffs, turning his head and crossing his arms. The light of the mushrooms illuminates him in multicolored neon patterns.

“I said nothing of the sort.”

“Then,” you say, reaching out to tap his arm. He raises an eyebrow. 

“Tag, you’re it!”

With that, you run ahead of him. Bede is left standing still for a couple of moments, unsure of what just happened. From a distance, you stick your tongue out at him. He hesitates, not wanting the people of Ballonea to see their Gym Leader playing a game meant for kids.

But he can’t help the taunt. It was just a little something to grind his gears a bit, but you’re surprised he does in fact take off running after you. 

You’re in the forest, ducking behind a rather dark corner. Bede has stumbled in after you, spooking off some of the wild Pokémon. He flinches, little fairy types and all still admiring him from afar. He clenches his fists briefly before shaking his head.

“I don’t really want to play games,” he calls out. “So stop hiding already. I’ll leave you here, just so you know! Good luck hiding with no one to find you!”

He doesn’t move though. Instead he does quite the opposite, walking deeper into the thick of the glowing forest. Unknowingly, he passes you, head turning side to side. He squints, as if trying to search for you in the distance.

You quietly creep up behind him. He must have written the sound of rustling grass and twigs snapping as a Pokémon, because before he can stop it, you’ve tagged him once again on the back. He jumps about two feet off of the ground, gasping, turning around as he’s clearly startled. His hand grips his chest and he glares those bright purple eyes at you.

“Tag!” You say again. Bede growls.

“What? That’s not how you play!”

“Bleh, what do you care? You said you didn’t want to play games!”

“I—well that’s—“

He goes silent.

“...Look, do you want to go on a walk with me or not? Let’s… play another time.” He offers sheepishly, tugging on the collar of his turtleneck, almost like he wants to pull it up and over his face to hide his expression. You decide you’ve messed with him enough for the day, so you two finally walk side by side deeper into the forest. Bede has lived in Ballonea long enough now to know the winding tricky paths of this place, while casually mentioning not to be worried if you felt like you were lost—he always knew how to get back.

“You never did answer my question,” Bede says. You raise an eyebrow. With a sigh, he asks again.

“Why are you here?”

“It really isn’t obvious?”

“...I’m not going in circles with a conversation with you. I want to head back.”

You give in without another word, skipping ahead of him. And unlike the Bede you used to know, who’d have done anything to put distance between the two of you, he runs to catch up. Despite his annoyed front he always puts out, you can see it on his face; he’s comfortable with your company. While he doesn’t know why you’re here, he’s happy you came anyway.

“No Pokémon battle? No parting snarky comment?” You ask. Bede shrugs as he pushes open the door to the Stadium.

“I’m tired,” is all he replies. Miss Opal seems to overhear your conversation, and she approaches the two of you with a plate of sweet sugary treats. Bede accepts some without comment, and you take one respectfully.

“Maybe you two could battle the next time you’re here, dear,” Miss Opal says, looking at you. Bede raises an eyebrow.

“Next time?”

“I’ll see you soon!” You exclaim, stuffing the treat in your mouth as you pat his shoulder once gently. His confusion doesn’t go away, not even as your board the Corviknight taxi with a wave in his direction.

“Next time…?” Bede repeats aloud, crystals of sugar stuck to the tips of his fingers. Miss Opal nods.

“Did you believe this would be the last time you saw them?”

“Well, no, but—“

“Hm. You’ve got a little more to learn,” she comments, turning away from him. “You do look positively exhausted though, child. You should rest up.”

He agrees.

  
  


**_…_ **

Like Miss Opal had planned, like you yourself had planned, you did come around again eventually. You didn’t have Bede’s phone number, so you liked to swoop in and check on him occasionally. The first few times, he was still a bit more closed off to you than he was to Opal, but eventually he seemed to expect these visits. At the end of his training sessions, he would watch and wait outside the windows of the Stadium, as if looking out for the Corviknight Taxi carrying you into Ballonea.

“Hey!” You exclaimed, running in to the Stadium. He’s already changed out of his uniform. He greets you with a nod.

“Again? You just visited a couple days ago.” He comments, crossing his arms. Miss Opal is nowhere to be seen but you always know the woman is nearby, like a mother bird protecting her young. 

“I wanted to ask,” you began, “do you wanna see my house?”

“...Your house?”

“Yeah! I know you probably can’t stay over because of all your Gym duties, but my mum wants to meet you.”

Bede is taken aback by the statement. As if on cue, Miss Opal comes into view from the back of the Stadium and nods at Bede.

“Oh, that sounds like a proper fun time. Why not go with them, child?”

Bede clears his throat, tugging at the collar of his turtleneck again. 

“I… you live far from Ballonea though.”

“I take Corviknight Taxis, mate. We’ll be there in a jiffy.”

Bede agrees silently. The fit of two people in a Corviknight taxi is a little tight, but it’s enough. You swing your feet over the edge of your seat and Bede occupies himself by scrolling through social media on his phone. Corviknight’s were exceptionally talented with flight speed, so like you’d promised him, you both boarded off with a wave and pet of appreciation to the Corviknight.

“Here we are—my home town!” You exclaim, arms spread wide. Bede glances around, unfamiliar with surroundings without floating lights and fairy Pokémon all around. You laugh, grasping his hand gently and tugging him down the road—toward your house. 

His head turns toward the field of Wooloo gathering around a fence. He pauses—causing you to stop abruptly—and he coughs awkwardly.

“They’re… cute,” he comments quietly. 

You laugh again. 

“Wooloo are everywhere here. Have you ever met one, outside of battle?”

“Not… really.”

“Do you want to?”

“...Do I want to?”

You tug him toward the lock of the fence. You knew the trainers who owned these little fluffy darlings—they were absolutely okay at any point with you coming to visit them. The Wooloo were usually well behaved on top of that of course. Usually. 

You enter the field, Bede a little hesitant—“Isn’t this trespassing?”—but you hush him with mirth, the Wooloo instantly curious about the beings who’d just wandered into their fenced area. You sit on the soft grass beneath you, the sun warm today as you lay back and let the Wooloo sniff and then nuzzle your face. They’re familiar with you, but some of them are absolutely captivated by Bede.

Bede kneels down and holds his hand out for one to sniff, then gently runs his fingers through the silky wool. The Wooloo is content, coming closer and nuzzling him, closing its eyes. He sits on the ground next to you, clearly mesmerized by the new friend he’s made. He may be a fairy type trainer now, but he’s clearly okay with befriending other types. He lets the Wooloo about halfway wiggle onto his lap, a small smile on his face. These Wooloo were definitely spoiled, loving pets and treats—Bede didn’t seem to care, and well, you weren’t going to tell him that. A Pokémon he just met, coming to like him? That could be considered a gift.

Another Wooloo approaches Bede. And then another. Until a small group has gathered around him. Now he begins to fret a little, looking at all of them with wide eyes. 

“Um…”

“I… Bede. I think they think you’re a Wooloo too.”

“What?!”

The exclamation doesn’t spook any of them off, despite you yourself well knowing they don’t like loud noises. Instead, they all try to get close to him, and he panics slightly. He almost looks as if he’s drowning in wool.

“H-Hey, help me out here!”

“Thought you didn’t need my help,” you tease, a vague throwback to the sass he gave you when those two weirdos were running around Galar forcing Pokémon to Dynamax. 

“I—I don’t want to throw them off! That wouldn’t be… I don’t think their trainers would appreciate that—hey now!”

One has nibbled at his fluffy hair.

“Please,” he says, without thinking. He winces. 

You’re satisfied.

**_…_ **

After pulling him out of the swarm of Wooloo (they tried to follow him like baby Duckletts after a Swanna mum when they left the fenced area, causing you to giggle and watch his eye twitch). 

You bring him to your house, and your Mum greets the two of you with a bright smile and the smell of a wonderful dinner behind her. Bede has his guard up, just a little—which you expected. He’s never been exactly open to meeting people he doesn’t know, or so you’ve guessed after watching him throughout your journey. He still shakes her hand when she holds hers out, and when she serves dinner, Bede has relaxed.

“Thank you,” he says when the plate of steaming food is out in front of him. It’s not coated in honey or sprinkled in sweet crystals, but he seems content with the meal anyway. He eats, and you all make great conversation throughout the meal. He’s a lot more chatty than you thought he’d be, and it’s evident even though he’s in an unfamiliar place with someone he’s not so sure what he thinks of, he’s _happy_.

“Thanks, Mum!” You say as you stand from the table. She says she’ll take care of the dishes if you and Bede were done. You nod, saying you were going to wash your hands. Bede watches you disappear into a part of the house he hasn’t seen yet. Your Mum makes small talk with him.

“By the way, thank you, young man.”

“Pardon?”

Your Mum takes his empty dish in front of him.

“For being around for them. They like making new friends.”

“Friends…?”

“Of course! Ah, wait that’s right.”

“I beg… your pardon?”

Your Mum shakes her head.

“Nothing, young man. I hope you’re having fun in our little town today! I know it’s not as exciting as Ballonea, but it’s a cozy place, wouldn’t you agree?”

Bede swallows, the taste of a home cooked meal made with love still lingering on his tongue. Your Mum… somewhat, in a way, reminds him of Opal.

“Yes ma’am, I would.”

Your Mum hums with content.

**_…_ **

You pull Bede into your room. You show him small things you grew up with and random gadgets you’d think he’d be interested in—though he mostly feigns boredom (that unmistakable glint in his eyes says otherwise). He’s stunned when you thrust a controller in his hand, and he stares at it with uncertainty.

You booted up your game system. It’s an older one, but it’s easier to play than your newer one when it comes to two players.

“Have you ever played before?” You ask. Bede shakes his head.

“I… don’t really like video games.”

“Have you ever played before though?”

“No.”

“Let’s play together then!”

You bring up your favorite game and let him browse it for a couple of minutes, then he chooses a character he thinks fits him. He says he doesn’t recognize any of them, but he finds this one really cute. It’s a round pink character with puffy cheeks. You smile, selecting your favorite.

After a couple of rounds, it’s clear he’s not really fond of the game—maybe because you absolutely destroyed him in all rounds. Given it was his first time playing. He sets the controller down, signaling he’s not really wanting to play anymore.

You nod, laying on your back on your bed. You were somewhat tired, after chatting with him all day. Maybe if you worked really hard, you could make Hop and Bede stay in the same room together without the two of them getting into an argument. Marnie too. Just a small, strange friend group made up of Gym Leaders, the Champion and a Professor in training. 

“What’s up?” You ask him, tilting your head. If he heard you, he pretends he doesn’t hear you until moments later.

“...Why am I here? Aren’t I your competition? Your rival? You do know I haven’t quite given up on the Champion spotlight yet, right? You’re being awfully kind to me for no reason.”

You smile. For a sharp posh boy, he’s rather dull in some areas.

“Bede,” you begin. “Never change please. Always be yourself.”

He looks at you with wide eyes just as you turn your head to glance out your window, noticing the sun was starting to set.

“Oh hey, do you wanna head toward Ballonea now? It’s getting late.”

“Ah, that’s probably a good idea…”

He stands. He’d been sitting on the floor. Your words from before seem to sit on the front of his mind, yet he makes no effort to comment on them.

“...Thank you.” Bede says quietly, before moving toward your door. He has Wooloo wool stuck to his clothes. You call out to him before he can fully walk away.

“Hey,” you say. He turns around. 

“We need to exchange phone numbers!”

He looks confused.

“Why?”

You can’t help but shake your head while smiling.

“Just give me your phone, mate.”

He hands you his phone and you shoot him a text from your own. He confirms he’s gotten it, and you save his number when he replies. With that done, he turns on his heel once more and walks away. You can hear him saying hushed goodbyes to your mother.

He still looks otherworldly, even as he boards a Corviknight Taxi to go back to Ballonea.

Your Mum walks into your room.

“He’s a nice boy,” she comments. You nod.

“He’s always had it in him.”

**_…_ **

The next day, Bede can’t focus on his training. Miss Opal notices about halfway through and demands he take a break, try and get his head together. He sits down and eats a sweetly buttered cookie, drinking a glass of MooMoo Milk. His phone buzzes in his pocket.

It’s from you.

_“Hey! How are you today?”_

Bede hesitates before replying.

_“Training. Don’t bother me.”_

_“ >:P Fiiine then Mr Grumpy Pants.” _

He doesn’t reply. You leave him alone. He finishes his snack as Opal joins him at the small table.

“You’re mind is in other places today, child. What is it?”

Bede shakes his head, mostly because he doesn’t know what explanation he can give. You’ve been on his mind all day. He has a hard time reasoning out your presence in his life and if he can’t find a suitable excuse for something that’s been following him like a ball and chain attached to his ankle, then it weighs him down exactly like one.

“I’m not sure.” He admits. “I apologize, I don’t mean to disappoint you.”

“You couldn’t do that. Now, tell me. How was your day yesterday? You got back a bit later than I expected.”

Ah, but Miss Opal was always so tuned in for these things—she always knew what was wrong before even Bede could solve it for himself. He recounts meeting the Wooloo, the meal with your Mum, and the small session of gameplay in your room. The frustration he feels grows more in his chest with each word. It doesn’t make sense.

“What doesn’t, dear?” Opal asks, and Bede realizes he’d spoken that last part aloud.

Bede shrugs. Maybe he’s thinking too far into it.

“...Nothing. I’m ready to begin again if you are, Miss Opal.”

She studies him. Bede sighs, standing.

She joins him.

**_…_ **

You come to visit him again. And again. It feels like a routine. He judges you a couple of times for acting so lax as a champion, but you write it off as him just trying to puff out some random things to uphold the rivalry the two of you have. You two text at night when he’s not training. You talk about how your day went and he talks about how Miss Opal did not take it easy on him during his training. You laugh to yourself, while your Mum asks on occasion if Bede was going to visit again sometime soon. Hop gets wrapped up in helping Sonia at the lab so he can’t always make it to spend time with you, but your Mum is enjoying having to cook for more people. It’s been a while.

It’s when you’ve dragged him back to your hometown again, when he’s willingly walking with you into the fence of Wooloo that he seemingly grows a little more bothered.

He’s in the middle of petting the Wooloo, who have gathered around him once more, when he speaks up.

“No more games. Why am I here? Why do you come to me?”

“I think only you can answer that,” you finally say. “Why do you come with me, Bede? You don’t have to. I wouldn’t make you.”

Bede freezes in the middle of gently scratching the Wooloo behind the ears. He doesn’t say anything, and he doesn’t appear that he’s going to. Instead, he buries his face into the warmth of the wool in front of him and exhales quietly. 

“We should go camping at some point,” you comment to change the subject. “I miss doing it. Plus, my Pokémon are itching for a good curry.”

“I rarely camped back when I was traveling.”

You smiled. 

“All the more reason we should.”

**_…_ **

Bede loses focus completely during a training session a couple days after that. While his performance isn’t perfect, he’s shaking in the shoulders and knees. Opal recognizes his distress and before it can get too far she calls training off temporarily and guides him away from the Gym Trainers, sitting him down with a cup of MooMoo Milk to drink to calm him down before he can panic.

His breaths are short and shaking.

“Bede,” she says quietly, not wanting to startle him. “Something’s been bothering you.”

“...’M fine.” He insist. Even his performance for that was awful. 

“Child, I’ve lived long enough to know when something is wrong.”

“But nothing _is_ wrong. That’s what’s bothering me!” He exclaims as he sets the cup down. Frustrated tears are brimming his eyes, his hands curling into fists. “Nothing is wrong! And I—and I don’t know what’s upsetting me! Every time I see _them_ , I just—I feel—I’m—“

He’s panting, face flushed. Opal waits for him to finish, but when he drops his face in his hands and twists his fingers into his hair with a groan, she compels him to sit down next to her and allow her embrace him. 

He buries his face in her shoulder and cries. Opal does nothing to stop it. She knew sooner or later these emotions he’s buried would come to light, and she would never deny him the opportunity to let it all out. He sobs quietly, and she gently rubs soothing circles into his back. She waits for him until he’s calmed down, and she motions a Gym Trainer who’s been awkwardly in the room to fill his cup with milk again. She takes and does as instructed. Opal gives him the drink, and he takes it without another word. He drinks until he’s calmed, little hiccups leaving his lips here and there.

“Why are they so nice to me?” He finally asks. “I was an absolute jerk to them. I treated their childhood friend like rubbish. Why would they ever let me see their home? Play with the Pokémon they grew up with? Meet their Mum? Eat meals with them? Talk about going camping, playing games together? It doesn’t make sense. I don’t deserve it!”

“They clearly think you do.”

“But _why_?” Bede demands. She can tell he’s getting frustrated again, so she gestures for him to drink. He does. 

“I just… I don’t get it…” He says, lowering his head till it’s touching her shoulder again. “I don’t want to be this weak.”

“Child, crying is far from a weakness. You’re brave to do so. Some people would never.”

The comment makes him shed a few more tears and Opal smiles. She thinks about how harshly he’s still shaking despite having calmed down now that he’s let some of this out. 

“I think we can hold off on training today,” Opal says. Bede’s eyes widen. 

“No, I can—“

“Another brave thing to do is knowing when to take care of yourself. Why not call them? You have their phone number, yes?”

Bede purses his lips briefly, swallows, then nods. He wipes his tears with his sleeve, and straightens himself out a bit. Opal doesn’t let go just yet. 

“I will… in a bit. I’m hungry.”

“It’s about lunch time anyway.”

**_…_ **

Bede settles down more after he’s eaten, and Opal suggests he goes and lays down for a bit in his room to recharge. Bede agrees with little fuss, the weight of his panic attack still looming like dead weight on his mind. He throws himself onto his bed, not bothering to take his uniform off. He catches himself in the reflection of a small mirror he has in his room from where he is on his bed and—oddly enough, he knows he looks the same, but he can’t help but think he looks _different_.

He looks content. He remembers briefly a time back when he stayed with Rose, when he’d look himself in the mirror and all he could think about was about Rose’s approval. When Rose didn’t discard him. When Oleana didn’t use him. Bede doesn’t see either of them clouding the background of his life anymore. He sees himself, Opal, and you.

He remembers what Opal had suggested earlier and he takes his phone out of his pocket. His thumb is shaky, but he manages to tap your number into the screen and listen to the ring.

You pick up moments later.

“Hey, mate! This is a surprise. You on a break from your training right now or something?”

Bede shakes his head, despite knowing you couldn’t see him.

“Kind of. Listen, I need to ask you something.”

“What’s up?”

Bede swallows, suddenly nervous.

“...Are we friends?”

The line goes silent. Bede feels hot tingles crawl across his neck and go down his spine. He had a headache from crying earlier but he would really rather you not know that—yet, anyway.

Then, your laughter fills his room.

“Bede! Would I bother you so much if we weren’t? That’s what I’ve been waiting for you to realize, mate!”

Bede has to adjust his grip on his phone or else it would have slipped onto his bed. He buries his face into his pillow and sighs loudly.

“Bede?”

“...I’m here.”

“Ah, good, okay. Anyway, what day did you want to go camping together?”

Bede rolls onto his back.

He can’t help the smile on his face or the warmth that envelopes him.

He couldn’t ask to be in a better place in his life.

**Author's Note:**

> rip soft bede out of my cold dead hands.
> 
> also wanna clarify just in case it’s a little cloudy—the reason Opal smiles after telling him it’s brave to cry and he cries more is cause she’s proud of him.


End file.
